Social media has become much more than a place to interact with other people online. People now consider it a source of information that otherwise remains hidden. However, people who aim to scam others, create a fake persona, or spread misinformation also benefit significantly from this perception. They use counterfeit images as a highly effective tool to achieve their objectives.

Doctored images on social media are intended to influence public opinion, grab attention, tarnish an individual or organization’s reputation, or harass others online. You may also see such content getting used by individuals to reach financial goals by posting product images with false claims to deceive others. You may also see fake photos on social media used for cyberbullying or serving a particular agenda.

Given this, it is the responsibility of every average Joe to stay vigilant and play their part in detecting fake images as a responsible social media user. However, the problem is many people don’t know how to identify doctored or manipulated images on social media. This article outlines various tips to help you detect fake pictures on social media so that you can prevent the spread of misinformation.

Read on to learn more.

Tips for Detection of Fake Imagery on Social Media

As mentioned, individuals posting fake images on social media often facilitate large-scale deception or serve a particular agenda. Detecting fake imagery and catching culprits is essential. Here are some tips to help you do so.

Keep an Eye Out for Visual Inconsistencies

It is often easy to identify doctored images if you have an eye to detect visual inconsistencies. Factors like shadows, lighting, pixelation, rough edges, disproportions, or unrealistic details can help you identify intentionally manipulated images to spread misinformation. Hence, whenever you come across pictures that sound suspicious or unrealistic, don’t instantly start believing in them.

• Make use of your critical eye and look for discrepancies in them. Here is what you should try to find in suspicious visuals:
• Shadows that look unnatural.
• Inconsistent lighting across the suspicious picture.
• Elements that look pixelated.
• Jagged or rough edges around elements that appear manipulated.
• Distorted perspectives make objects featured in the image out of place regarding their surroundings.
• Unrealistic details that make textures and details appear too smooth.

You may have encountered a red flag if you find any suspicious signs in the image. Therefore, don’t share it further. Instead, look for further signs that may help you figure out that the picture you have seen on social media is fake. Don’t believe in the images that may come with the above visual discrepancies.

Verify the Source

Social media has become an ideal place for culprits who want to spread misinformation. Therefore, you must verify the source before believing in any image on any social media platform. This statement is specifically true for pictures having visual discrepancies. The best way to avoid becoming part of the community that unintentionally makes doctored visuals go viral is to verify the source first.

There are multiple ways to perform source verification. First, you should thoroughly analyze the profile or handle posting a doctored image. It will help you figure out whether that particular handle has shared credible information in the past. Also, check whether the account you are checking is verified if it comes with the name of a reputable brand.

Use the Reverse Image Search Technique

Worry not if you’re unsure about the credibility of an image you’ve seen on social media—there are effective methods to help you verify it. One of the most reliable techniques is reverse image search. Simply save the photo and use a trustworthy tool to perform a web search to assess the image’s authenticity.

A refined reverse image lookup tool can help you find similar visuals from reputable platforms, ensuring you don’t miss valuable information. Sometimes, the image you see online isn’t fake but might be used to manipulate emotions. This tactic is often employed by individuals or organizations aiming to spread misinformation.

Accurate images are often shared with false contexts to provoke strong emotional reactions. Using a free reverse image search, you can uncover how reputable sources, like prominent news outlets, have shared the image and the context they’ve provided.

Look for Technical Clues

Technical clues often help you identify fake images on social media. Doctored images posted to spread misinformation usually come with date and location discrepancies. You should compare the date or location mentioned in the caption of the suspicious image with the visual information in it. You can also use the reverse image search technique to check the information related to date and location.

You should also watch for issues related to the quality of suspicious pictures. If the visual appears to have too much pixelation, blurry areas, or signs of editing, you should avoid sharing it further. Moreover, try to analyze the metadata of the underlying image and look for any unusual details that can help you figure out whether the image is doctored.

The Wrap

Fake images going viral on social media can hurt someone’s reputation, lead to mass anger, or even cause unrest amongst a particular community based on their religion, culture, or political affiliation. Hence, keeping an eye out for doctored visuals on social media is the responsibility of every user. 

Being a responsible user, you can use several methods to quickly identify manipulated images on social media and prevent their spread. This article discusses all those methods to help you detect fake imagery. Hopefully, you have plenty of takeaways from it!